Tennis closes season with two-game winning streak;
Posted by The Skyliner on April 22nd, 2009
Paul Conner
Staff Writer
Elizabeth Wood/ The Skyliner
The women’s tennis teams wrapped up the regular season by defeating Lenoir-Rhyne 5-0 overall, 3-0 in doubles and 2-0 in singles, Saturday afternoon at the Greer Tennis Center. The win was their second of the week, the first coming at home against USC-Lancaster 9-0 last Wednesday, and North Greenville finished with a 7-6 record on the year.
North Greenville may play more matches if Elliot is able to reschedule some of the matches that were postponed in March due to rain.
With the win, the Lady Crusaders put themselves in position to participate in the NCCAA National Tournament May 9-12 in Marion, Ind. A formal announcement came last Monday after publication.
Lenoir-Rhyne needed to return to their campus in Hickory, N.C., and requested to play first-to-five. At number one doubles, Salem Erni, junior interdisciplinary studies, and Katherine Shaw, freshman undecided, handled their opponents 8-4.
Cherie and Cassie Curtis, senior elementary education and freshman secondary education, defeated their opponents 8-2. Courtney Lynn, senior psychology, and Natalie Stewart won 8-2.
At number one singles, Erni defeated her opponent 6-4, 6-2, and at number six singles, Stephanie Tyrpak, senior broadcast media, cruised to a 6-1, 6-0 victory. Shaw’s singles match was interrupted because North Greenville reached five-match wins first. Lynn continued her match despite the result, coming back to win 4-6, 6-0, (11-9) in the tiebreaker set.
“The girls had been playing well coming into the match, so it was good to see them keep that going,” Elliot said.
The men’s team had similar success against Lenoir-Rhyne, defeating the Bears 5-0 overall, 3-0 in doubles and 2-0 in singles. The Crusaders also triumphed against USC-Lancaster 8-1 earlier in the week to improve to 4-9.
At number one doubles, Gabriel Altmayer, senior international business, and Timur Kamilov, freshman undecided, rolled to an 8-3 victory. At number two, Guilherme Vasques, senior business administration, and William Ho, senior business administration/marketing, won their match 8-4. At number three, Thomas Clack and Jacob Rogers, senior Christian studies, cruised to an 8-0 win.
At number one singles, Kamilov fought for a 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 victory, and Clack topped his opponent 7-5, 6-1.
The Crusaders were without Juan Carlos Aguilera, senior economics, who suffered a broken right wrist last Saturday before the USC-Lancaster match. As he was warming up, Aguilera tripped over a rake on the court and fell backwards. He tried to catch himself with his right arm but broke his wrist in the process.
Aguilera went on to play the match but later found that his wrist was indeed broken. He will have surgery Monday and will wear a cast for eight weeks. Aguilera, who also plays soccer for the Crusaders, expects to be at full strength for the fall soccer season.